Cut-off-valve gear.



No. 646,429. y Patented Apr. 3, i900. n. Hmnnz.v

CUT-OFF VALVE GEAR.

(Applicationvled Apr. 3, 1899.) (nmodel.) l 2 sheets-snm l.

mi nonms UCTERS so, moroumo.. wulucfcu. n. c.

Patented Apr. 3, |900. n. HARDIE.

CUT-DFF VALVE GEAR.

(Application Bled Apr. 8, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEY TH: Nnms Fuels co.. mow-Leno.. wAsHmnTon, n. c.

Y UNITED STATES PATENT. (Muriel-2.I

ROBERT HARDIE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CUT-OFF-VALVE GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\To. 646,429, dated April 3, 1900.

` Application filed April 3, 1899. Serial No. 711,505. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT HARDIE, a citizen of the .United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,` have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cut-Off-Valve Gear, of which the following is a specication.

The cut-o-valve gear forming the subject of this invention is designed for use in that class of tluid-pressure-distributing devices for motors actuated by steam or other iiuid under pressure where a cut-off slide-valve is arranged to operate in conjunction with a main slide-valve.

The object of this invention is the construction of a simple, efficient, and positively-actuated valve-gear that will lcause the cut-off valve to promptly close the inlet-port openings ofthe main valve at the desired and predetermined point of cut-off.

Y The invention consists of the addition to the main slide-valve and its operating-gear of a cut-off slide-valve arranged to slide on the back of the main valve and an operatinggear therefor, as levers and connecting-rods,

so connected to and under the inuences of the moving part of the engine connected to or working in unison with'the piston and the main-valve-operating gear, whereby a movement is imparted to the cut-off valve that partakes of the combined movements of the piston and main valve and is variable in relation to both of t-he movements of the piston and main valve.

My improved cutoff-valve gear is adapted for use in any style of prime mover having a main slide or distributing valve and actuated by a fluid underpressure.

In the drawings forming part of` this speciiication the said valve-gear is shown'applied to a locomotive, in which drawings- Figure l represents in side elevation a part of the engine-frame of a locomotive and the engine provided with my improved cut-offvalve gear. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken on the line 2 2, Fig. l; and Figs. 3, 4,-and 5 are diagrams illustrating the relative positions of the cut-od and vmain valves forthree angular positions of the crank of the engine.

The proportions and arrangement of the various parts of the devices as shown in the drawings and here described are selected for demonstrative purposes and are not necessarilyto be strictly followed in all applications of my improvements. Variations and modifications will readily suggest themselves to the engineer in applying myinvention to meet particular cases. j

The main portions of the engine shown, it will be observed, are of the ordinary construction, comprising a cylinder a, a piston b, a connecting-rod c, a crank d on the drivingshaft d', and two eccentrics e e, also on the shaft CZ' and connected by their rod to the link f. This linkf embraces the end of the inner arm g, secured to the rock-shaft g', and is controlled and actuated by the lever and rod f, so as to enable the different parts of the link f to be set on the'end of the arm g. The maink valve h byits rod t' is connected to the end of the outer arm g2, which is secured to the rockshaft g in the ordinary way.

The cut-off valve is shown as a fiat plate resting on the upper surface or back of the main valve 71 and is connected by the rod 7c to the upper end of the lever Z, the fulcrum Z or pivotal connection of which is carried'by the upper arm of the lever m,Whose central rock-shaft m has a bearing formed in the engine-frame or in a bracket secured to the engine-frame. The lower arm lof this lever m is by the link n connected to the outer arm g2, which imparts motionfrom the link f to the main slide-valve 7i. To impartmotionto the cut-off valvej through the medium of the lever l, the lower end of said lever is connected to some suitable moving part of the engine that travels in unison with the piston b, said connection, as shown in the drawings, being made by the rod o, joined at one end to the lower end vof the lever Z and at its other end o' to the main connecting-rod c near its point of attachment to the cross-head of the engine. It will be observed that the lever Z is a floating lever, for while its lower end moves coincidently with the piston b its fulcrum Z has no fixed location of action, its position being variable and controlled by the means that conveys movement to the main valve h from the'eccentrics e e, so .that the cut-off valve j, which receives its motion fromthe upper end of the lever Z', will have imparted to it a compound movement, which is variable both as to IOO the movement ofthe piston andas to them ovement ol' the main valve, as its rod 7s is rocked through an are the center of which is the fulcrum Z of the lever Z, and this fulcrum is at the same time moved through an arc whose center is m of the rocking lever m.

To clearly show the operation of and function performed by this improved cut-oii-valve gear, it is illustrated in different positions in the several views of the drawings. Vith the particular proportions and arrangements of parts here selected Fig. 1 shows the crank CZ on the dead-center. The port ct',whicl1 is now the inlet-port of the cylinder, is uncovered by the valve h sufficiently for a free fiow of motive agent to the cylinder, the edge of the cut-olf valve being at about its full clearance from the leading edge of the opening through the main valve. Now when the crank d has made an angular movement of forty degrees, as shown at Fig. 3, the piston then being at about one-eighth stroke, the cut-olf valve j has closed the opening of the main valve h, the port of this valve being then at about full opening with the inlet-port a' of the cylinder. Thus the motive agent is in this particular case cut ed at about one-eighth stroke, and said cut-olf occurs quickly and sharply, Vas along movement between the main and cutoi valves has taken place, while the piston has moved a relatively-short distance, the movement of the two valves being in opposite directions. Another ten degree movement of the crank CZ or when it is at an angle of fifty degrees, as shown at Fig. 4, brings the main valve h to about the limit of its movement in an outwardly direction or a movement coincident with that of the piston, the cut-olf valve then having considerable lap over the port-openings of the mainr valve and the main-valve port-openingbeing fully exposed to the inlet-port a' of the cylinder, the piston now being. at a little less than one-fifth stroke. The motive agent is now working expansively, and it continues so to do for the remainder of the piston-stroke. Fig. 5 shows the relative positions of various parts of the engine when the crank has made an angular movement of one hundred and seventy degrees,the main valve hthen slightly lapping the port et', thecut-oft' valve still closing the main-valve port-opening, as it has continued to do throughout the Whole outward movement of the piston. The next movement of ten degrees of the crank will bring the piston to the end of the stroke, the other main-valve port-openingthen being exposed to the port a? at the other end of the cylinder. The forward ends of both-'valves now bear the same relation to this end of the cylinder as their other ends did to the other end of the cylinder when the crank was on the other dead-center, as shown at Fig. 1. The movement of the valves relatively to that of the inward travel of the piston is now similar to their movement during the outward travel of the piston, as first described.

As the travel of the main valve is reduced by setting the link f to act on the arm g at points nearer the center of the link, the throw or travel of the cut-oit valve j is commensurately varied by the reduced movement of the fulcrum Z of the lever Z, and the cut-off occurs later; but the positive and quick action of the cut-ott valve maintains for all active positions in which the parts of the engine may be adjusted.

I claimV as my inventionl. In an engine, in combination, a cylinder and piston, a main slide-valve, means for actuating the main slide-valve from the movement of the piston, a eut-off slide-valve arranged to act in conjunction with the main slide-valve, a lever directly connected at one end to the cut-ofi? valve and connected at its other end to a moving part of the engine acting in unison with the piston, and an arm to which the fulcrum of the lever is connected, and Which is connected to and rocked by the means actuating the main valve, in opposition to the mevementof themain valve,.whereby the speed of the cut-off is auxiliated.

2. A cut-oi-valve gear combined with an engine having a cylinder, piston, connectingrod, crank-shaft and crank, main slide-Valve, a rocking arm connected to the main valve, a linksmotion for imparting movement from the/'crank-shaft to the rocking arm,said val vethe parts connected to and moving coincidently with the piston.

Signed at Rome, in the county of Oneida and State of New York,this 29th day of March, A. D. 1899. v

' ROBERT HARDIE.

lVitnesses:

GEO. D. LITTLE, S. A. DOHN.

IOO

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